Some babies are born with skeletal abnormalities as for example in the hands, feet, shoulders, arms, legs, fingers, thumb, neck and knees. My co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/752,959 and Ser. No. 14/178,676, respectively are entitled “Orthotic Method and Device for Newborn Babies” and relates more specifically to orthopedic devices and methods for correcting abnormalities in the feet and toes of newborn human babies. The second of my previously filed U.S. patent applications is entitled “Orthopedic Device and Method for Correcting Skeletal Abnormalities in a New-Born Baby” relating more specifically to method and devices for correcting abnormalities in the wrist, hands, fingers and thumbs of a newborn baby.
A U.S. Patent of Pomatto et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,312 discloses a cranial remodeling orthosis. As disclosed therein a cranial remodeling orthosis is shaped to extend across the top of the head with the pending regions closely confining the temporal bone regions and the mastoid process regions of the cranium. The orthosis is self-suspending and preferably includes an elastic band for imparting ear-to-ear rigidity to the device.
A more recent U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0330204 discloses therapeutic cushioning and devices for assisting respiration of and administering fluid to a patient. As disclosed therein, the invention is directed to both therapeutic cushioning designed to support the head of a patient in bed to improve respiration and a series of devices designed to assist a patient's respiration and administer fluid to the patient, by ensuring such devices cannot be inadvertently removed from the patient in the absence of medical personnel and cause unwanted injury to the patient. At the same time, a device is provided to assist a patient's breathing in the absence of such assistive device, e.g. during sleep.
Finally, a U.S. Patent of Bonutti U.S. Pat. No. 8,251,934 discloses an orthosis and method for cervical mobilization. The patent discloses a method of using a neck brace to move a neck of a person or stabilize the neck includes connecting a vest of the neck brace to a torso of a person. A support member of the neck brace is connected to the vest. A chin support of the neck brace is connected to a chin of the person. Force is applied between the support member and the chin support to move the chin support relatively to the support member. A cam member of the neck brace guides movement of the chin support relative to the support member.
Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential commercial market for an improved device for correcting skeletal abnormalities in a newborn human baby. There should be a potential commercial market because there are babies that need to overcome abnormalities in a newborn baby's neck. Further, such methods and devices can be used to correct such abnormalities within hours of the patient's birth and that will make considerably improvements within days at a relatively modest cost.